of Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy came about when movie studios decided they had what it took to become a huge franchise that would last forever. In this regard, Warner Bros. It’s a little surprising that Discovery didn’t milk Tolkien’s work more than it already did. That’s about to change, as the company has announced two new Lord of the Rings movies are in the works (you can check out the full press release here) here).
The first is conventionally called Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for My Arm, and is directed by Andy Serkis – who you may remember from Jackson’s landmark performance as Gollum in his previous films. The fact that Serkis was on board and that Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (who co-wrote the previous Middle Earth movies with Jackson) were working on the script made me feel a little better that it wasn’t just a cash grab. Peter Jackson is set to produce alongside Walsh and Boyens. Serkis previously served as second unit director on The Hobbit films and also directed 2022. Poison: May the carnage.
Given the film’s working title, you won’t be surprised to learn that Serkis is also reprising his role as the titular Gollum. While part of me is curious to see how another actor would play the character, Serkis has defined Gollum so much for the big screen that it’s almost impossible to cast anyone else in the role. There’s no official word yet on what the film will cover, but again, the title suggests it will take place between events. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings As Gandalf and Aragorn search for Gollum in Middle-earth, they try to learn more about the ring that Bilbo and then Frodo possess.
Given Hollywood’s insatiable thirst for Content Based on Popular Franchises, it’s a little surprising that something like this didn’t happen sooner. Jackson and company continued the original trilogy of films nine years later. The Hobbit and relevant events from Tolkien’s LOTR supplements. And of course, Amazon The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power the series debuted in 2022. And before The Hunt for Gollum when it arrives, we will see another interesting project: an anime-style film called War of the Rohirrim. This movie is coming in December and takes place in Rohan several hundred years ago The Lord of the Rings.
As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I’m both skeptical and excited about this announcement. The sad reality of the entertainment world is that projects like this will happen no matter what; There’s too much money wrapped up in things like Lord of the Rings not to try to extract more. But Serkis seems like a great choice to direct this movie, and we hope they find a tight, unique story that works as a standalone. The mess of the Hobbit movies makes me wary, but I found a lot to enjoy even in these movies – and it feels like a good opportunity to set a positive course forward for more movies in Middle-earth.
